I'm back and I need some fresh ideas!

[silicone boy]

Hey guys! I've been gone for a while because of a bunch of automotive mishaps and I've been too discouraged to think about cars for a while. For those of you who don't know or remember me, I'm the one who has a 383 SBC with 2 Buick turbos in a 1975 289z. This summer was a disaster carwise. As it turn out, I put an LS7 in my RX7 (it made 540 hp at the rear wheels!). It was a beast, as you can imagine. Then I found out I blocked off an oil passage and it is currently being rebuilt (I'm leaving it to the pros this time). Then I decided to get my Datsun street legal, only I couldn't pass emissions due to visible smoke. It turn out the cylinder walls were not honed properly, so the ring seal was bad. Yes, I did have to pull and tear down that engine too. For the time being, I'm without a running sporty car, but I think I'm going to start looking for an LS motor for the Z. I'm really impressed with them. The LS motor made more power than my turbo SBC! Anyway, I'm getting back into it again and I have just ordered the LS mount kit from John's Cars, so I'm committed.

 

 

I was wondering what you all would go with. Obviously, I already have my ultimate street warrior with my LS7 FD. The Datsun is not as nice and doesn't handle as well. I'll probably keep it around as my classic older car that I cruise around in. Performance is important, but I'm not sure if I should pour as much power into it as the Mazda--I'm not even sure if it could handle it. As far as engine choices, I'm considering a mild LS1/6 or even a 427 LSx as these are becoming reasonable. I know there is the LS3 coming out as a crate engine sometime next spring. The price looks to be not bad at all, and as far as performance, well, it is the current Corvette engine. All opinions are welcome.

 

 

 

Ben

[m1noel]

I don't have enough experience with any of the other LS motors, but I don't know how you could go wrong with any of them. I love my LS2. It is so easy to drive, and performs very well. You might PM Mike (mas280) as he has pretty extensive LS experience in Z's and FD's. He was a lot of help to me. And sorry about your engine problems. Good luck with the next one.

Mike

[dustin280zx]

How about an LSX with a procharger?

[pparaska]

LSX with 427 cubes, and a Magnuson supercharger with the High Helix design?

That way you don't have to wait for the boost, just buy really sticky tires since the torque is EVERYWHERE. :burnout:

[silicone boy]

LSX with 427 cubes, and a Magnuson supercharger with the High Helix design?

That way you don't have to wait for the boost, just buy really sticky tires since the torque is EVERYWHERE. :burnout:

 

 

 

I like that idea, Pete. While I said I don't need a 427, I'd like to see what a blown 427 LSx would do. The prices of shortblocks are dropping.

[pparaska]

I'm guessing 650hp would be really easy with a mild pump gas setup with that engine/trans. I don't like a lot of boost or N2O - they are just too "on-the-edge" for me. I prefer killing them with cubes mostly, and a bit of efficient positive displacement (or axial flow) supercharging if the pocketbook is deep enough.

 

You don't "NEED" 427 cubes, but then again, you don't need more than the little stock L28 puts out either . And she doesn't need super-firm 38 double D's either! (but thank God she wants them and will pay you for them!!! )

[jbk240z]

^^lol!!^^

[silicone boy]

I'm guessing 650hp would be really easy with a mild pump gas setup with that engine/trans. I don't like a lot of boost or N2O - they are just too "on-the-edge" for me. I prefer killing them with cubes mostly, and a bit of efficient positive displacement (or axial flow) supercharging if the pocketbook is deep enough.

 

You don't "NEED" 427 cubes, but then again, you don't need more than the little stock L28 puts out either . And she doesn't need super-firm 38 double D's either! (but thank God she wants them and will pay you for them!!! )

 

 

 

You nailed it on the head. The reason I'm considering not rebuiding the 383 turbo is that it was too squirrely around the track, which is what I originally had the car for. The Mazda is, or was, much easier to drive. Turbos are fun, but as they say in hotrodding and breast surgery: "There's no replacement for displacement"

[grumpyvette]

"but as they say in hotrodding and breast surgery: "There's no replacement for displacement"

 

while I see lots of potential in the ls series the displacement and head flows limited copmpared to the BBC ,ID also point out that you can now purchase complete aluminum block aquiped BBC engines up to about 572-605 steel blocks up to 704 cid displacement from several suppliers, and hp levels exceeding 800-1200 hp are comon depending on config in N/A builds, add nitrous or a turbo and 1500 plus hp is easy

remember nearly anything you can do to a 383-427 to make it run better will work even better on a 540-680 bbc s larger displacement, bigger ports and valves, example if TWIN TURBOS on a 383 works wonders, how much better will it work on a correctly built 605 displacement

 

http://www.ultrastreet.net/598_classic.asp

 

 

http://www.brodix.com/blocks/blocks.html

 

http://www.worldcastings.com/prods_p...ks/merlinx.htm

 

http://www.donovanengineering.com/

 

http://www.keithblack.com/racing_generalmotors.html

 

 

427 is a good SMALL BLOCK by todays standards

 

 

 

http://www.ultrastreet.net/598_classic.asp

 

http://www.sonnysracing.com/

 

http://www.ultrastreet.net/632_1000_bd.asp

 

IVE SEEN LOTS OF GUYS DUMP 8K-11K in a SBC engine with TURBOS, superchargers ,trick parts and not equal whats available like this 620 displacement BBC..even the 550 and 454 SBC exceed what many guys spent far more money to build

 

http://www.ohiocrank.com/enginekits.html

 

or

http://www.dougherbert.com/dhp496chevybbstroker-p-25850.html?cPath=614_615

[COZY Z COLE]

Good to see you back. I thought that maybe you had to much to "Handle" at your work place....

 

 

 

LARRY

[Scottie-GNZ]

If you believe that an n/a 427ci engine has more "displacement" than a forced-induction 383ci engine, then you are making the classic mistake of focusing on just physical displacement. It's not how much displacement an engine has that is important, it is how efficiently the engine can fill up that displacement. Remember, an n/a 427ci engine has the potential to fill its cylinders with a volume equal to 427ci while a 383ci forced-induction engine @ 14.7psi has the potential for 766ci. The trick is, how effecient is each setup.

 

As for turbo lag, lag is what you make it. If someone turbos a 427ci V8 or even a 383ci V8 and has unbearable lag, then they did something wrong and cant just say its because of the turbo. You need to look at turbo lag the same way you would if someone took a small displacement V8 (remember the 302 SBC and Boss 302) and put 2.19" intake valves, high-lift/long-duration cam, heads that flow ungodly numbers and a 1000CFm carb on it. How responsive is that engine going to be? But GAWD, when it finally gets cooking...... Wait a second, that sounds just like turbo lag

 

BTW, when do you mean when you say the Mazda with the turbo was squirrely? The engine was squirrely (???) or the suspension? As for the 427 in the Z, throw a cam in it and a 100-shot for the rare occassion when you might need it, like when a pesky twin-turbo Viper rolls up next to you.

[Pop N Wood]

I would love to see someone build an LS2 402 stroker motor with L92 heads and put that in a Z.

 

LS7 motors and forced induction stuff is all way cool but usually outside the even dreaming price range of most people. An LS stroker motor is by no means cheap, but it is achievable with a bit of sacrifice. Something like that should go like stink on ♥♥♥♥. It could even be done starting with a 6.0L truck block. Nice big cam to take advantage of the Z’s low weight.

[silicone boy]

Scottie,

 

The Mazda has a V8 with no turbo. It was not the squirrely one. The Datsun with the 383 TT got a little sideways depending on when the turbos would kick in. I guess that could be tuned somewhat for the track. After all, some of the great track cars of all time are turbo cars (Like the Mazda, which they somehow made work with twin turbos, to a point). I haven't written off resurrecting the 383, and I do agree that forced induction does increase your effective displacement (I was running low boost).

 

Pop,

 

I think the 402 with L92 heads would be great. A lot of power is being made with them, and the overall cost is not astronomical as with an LS7. Lots of options in the LSx world right now. I would love to see someone putting an LS3 into a Z. I hear rumours that a crate engine will be coming in the spring at around $6000, and there are 3 different horsepower levels, approx 425, 475, and 525 (with a carbed intake).

[dustin280zx]

IVE SEEN LOTS OF GUYS DUMP 8K-11K in a SBC engine with TURBOS, superchargers ,trick parts and not equal whats available like this 620 displacement BBC..even the 550 and 454 SBC exceed what many guys spent far more money to build[/

 

I'm sorry, but I disagree. I think this is just a case (s) of poeple poorly spending money and not knowing what they are doing. Poeple can do it in building big blocks too or building anything for that matter like houses. I also see more and more poeple in the 8's (unlimited drag radial class to be specific) using FI than I do NA. I'm not trying to say which is better because I think FI is better since I'm stongly influenced on Force Induction and you think NA is better because your strongly influenced on NA. When someone asks how to make horsepower your going to yell NA Big block and i'm going to yell Forced Induction Small Block and thats how it is. HAHA.

[grumpyvette]

YOU SELLECTIVELY QUOTED ME,TO GET YOUR POINT, IM NOT opposed to a correctly built forced induction combo.FAR FROM IT!,TURBOS and SUPERCHARGERS ARE GREAT IF THE BUDGET ALLOWS

 

I stated this first in the same post'

"remember nearly anything you can do to a 383-427 to make it run better will work even better on a 540-680 bbc s larger displacement, bigger ports and valves, example if TWIN TURBOS on a 383 works wonders, how much better will it work on a correctly built 605 displacement'

 

BUT I do think you can get more hp per dollar on a semi limited budget building a larger N/A combo

 

EXAMPLE

 

http://www.dougherbert.com/dhp496chevybbstroker-p-25850.html?cPath=614_615

600hp/and tq for 7K is hard to beat

 

OR 900hp/830 tq for 10K

http://www.ohiocrank.com/enginekits.html

[dustin280zx]

YOU SELLECTIVELY QUOTED ME,TO GET YOUR POINT, IM NOT opposed to a correctly built forced induction combo.FAR FROM IT!,TURBOS and SUPERCHARGERS ARE GREAT IF THE BUDGET ALLOWS

 

I stated this first in the same post'

"remember nearly anything you can do to a 383-427 to make it run better will work even better on a 540-680 bbc s larger displacement, bigger ports and valves, example if TWIN TURBOS on a 383 works wonders, how much better will it work on a correctly built 605 displacement'

 

BUT I do think you can get more hp per dollar on a semi limited budget building a larger N/A combo

 

EXAMPLE

 

http://www.dougherbert.com/dhp496chevybbstroker-p-25850.html?cPath=614_615

600hp/and tq for 7K is hard to beat

 

OR 900hp/830 tq for 10K

http://www.ohiocrank.com/enginekits.html

 

I read your post wrong, I should've read it twice. I thought you stated that a NA big block will run equally or better as a turbo'd sbc. I do 100% agree with you that a turbo on a sbc chevy would do wonders on a big block as you previously stated. A good example is Bill Lutz running a 540 ci bb with twin turbos in his 3500# camaro running a 6.99 and backing it up with a 7.02. Estimated close to 2900 hp with that setup.